In the discussion of the background that follows, reference is made to certain structures and/or methods. However, the following references should not be construed as an admission that these structures and/or methods constitute prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to demonstrate that such structures and/or methods do not qualify as prior art.
As a replacement to traditional wood sidings, many new products have been developed. The primary focus of such products is weather resistance. Also of considerable consideration are the overall authenticity and other aesthetic qualities of the installed product on a building.
Two dominate products to consider are sidings made from fiber cement and vinyl. Fiber cement siding has an authentic look and feel when painted. It is a generally weather resistant material that is also thermally stable. However it has several undesirable characteristics. First, being a cementitous material, it is heavy and difficult to work with using common wood working tools and techniques. Also, due to manufacturing limitations, this type of siding product is not available in a traditional beveled (or wedge shaped) geometry. What is meant by this is that traditional siding products, whether a shake or clap board, are thicker at the bottom exposed butt end (+/−½″) and taper to a much thinner thickness (+/−⅛″ or less) at the upper, overlapped edge. Current fiber cement siding products are often thinner (+/−⅜″ or less) and do not vary in thickness across their width. The individual strips of siding are cut from a larger flat sheet. Rather than having a cross-sectional geometry that is a tapered wedge, it is produced as a thin flat rectangle. In industry terminology, this is considered a lapboard siding rather than true clapboard. A shortcoming of this difference in profile is the combined thickness created from overlapping two or more layers of siding when installed. Often the increased thickness can causes issues with matching up with trim thicknesses. This is one consideration that prevents thicker more authentic profiles from being manufactured.
Vinyl siding provides a low maintenance cladding for certain end users but lacks an authentic appearance. Considerable efforts have been made to enhance patterns and textures. In all cases however, the means of attachment remains that the siding panels are interlocked with one another and “hung” loosely on the sidewall as opposed to being nailed firmly into place. This leaves the siding susceptible to wind damage. Further the panels are installed in channels around window/door openings and corners. In many instances, the water resistance along this interface relies on the house wrap or felt paper that covers the sheathing. Further, vinyl is flimsy and dimensionally unstable with respect to temperature. As a result it is prone to buckle when exposed to high temperatures. Also limiting is the fact that each panel consists of several courses of siding, and cannot be crafted or otherwise modified on site to conform to a custom profile or exposure.
As an alternative, solid, cellular thermoform plastics, such as cellular polyvinyl chloride, have the physical attributes to produce an authentic look, feel, and workability. However, when considering long thin geometries such as is the case with siding products, they lack rigidity and thermal stability. Often, an exterior wall surface is not perfectly flat and the siding material covering it must have the ability to remain straight along long lengths to effectively conceal these inconsistencies. Further, a siding material may experience a wide range of temperatures, especially when exposed to direct solar gains. Most common plastics experience a considerable thermal coefficient of linear expansion and contraction and also tend to soften, or become more ductile when heated, resulting in buckling. Without reinforcement, these materials typically do not possess adequate performance characteristics to provide a product that has the desired rigidity and thermal stability needed.